H1Z1 Launches With New Auto Royale Mode

Daybreak Games announces the official release of H1Z1 after an extended early
access run for the survival shooter, as they highlight the game's role in
spurring the current mania for Battle Royale games.
This is marked by the launch of a new Auto Royale mode, which is said to be in
beta, so fans of works-in-progress games are still covered. A
Launch
Day Producer's Letter has lots of details and
this post outlines what's changed for the release version.
This trailer shows off
Auto Royale, and the announcement has all the details:

Daybreak Games®
today announced the official launch of H1Z1®, the original standalone battle
royale game that sparked a worldwide phenomenon. H1Z1 is now available on Steam
for Windows PC with a brand-new game mode, Auto Royale™, injecting high-octane
vehicular mayhem into the genre.

“In 2016, we did something unheard of - we split a successful game into two
products and introduced the world to the first standalone battle royale game.
The next year, we created the first battle royale esports league and became the
second esport to ever air on broadcast television. This year, we continue to
push this young genre forward with the introduction of Auto Royale,” said H1Z1
General Manager Anthony Castoro. “Auto Royale doesn’t rinse and repeat what is
currently available on the market, it turns the genre on its head with a fresh
approach - arcadey, vehicle-only battle royale unlike anything anyone has
experienced before.”

Inspired by H1Z1’s fast-paced vehicle play, the new game mode – Auto Royale –
features up to 30 teams of four in a battle to be the last vehicle standing.
Teams speed around the massive map looking for power-ups, weapons, ammo, fuel,
and health as they try to out-shoot, out-drive, and out-last the competition.
The mode introduces two new vehicles to H1Z1, a sedan and an armoured recon
vehicle (ARV), and a variety of features to cause vehicular havoc, including
ramps, land mines, oil slicks, turbo boosts, vehicle jumps, corrosive smoke, and
much more.

AUTO ROYALE GAME MODE HIGHLIGHTS:

Two New Vehicles: Players can choose from
two vehicles in Auto Royale – Sedan or ARV – both new to the game and only
available in Auto Royale.

Auto Royale is currently in Beta and will continue to develop with feedback
from the community. Along with the new vehicular battle royale game mode, H1Z1
launches with a plethora of new features designed to enhance the game’s
competitive nature and fast-paced combat.

ADDITIONAL H1Z1 LAUNCH FEATURES:

Tactical Deployment: Players can choose
which area to parachute into at the start of a match using a heat map that
shows locations of where other players spawn.

Airdrop Revamp: The airdrop system has been
refined to add more points of contention, increasing the drop frequency and
item value.

Season 1: The official first in-game Season
for H1Z1 starts with an all-new scoring algorithm designed to reward
consistency and aggression, not just a player’s 10 best placements.

Mini Map: Players now have the option to
turn on a mini map to help the navigate the world.

Founder’s Item: All players who bought H1Z1
during Early Access will receive a special in-game shirt.